Technical Authority
Compromise sucks. If you try to accommodate everyone’s demands you end up with The Homer. A lot of technology teams suffer from this in the way we try to address all concerns continuously, rather than focus on the few things that will genuinely make a difference. It's entirely human nature to want to please others, and to avoid saying no.
Farewell Vend
More than once I’ve been worried about being too open, too honest, sharing too much information about my thought process or political views or personal life. While I acknowledge that my seniority in the company and my culture give me a lot of leeway, I still think that it’s infinitely better to bring your whole self to work than try to hide away the bits that you don’t think people will approve of.
Don't be lazy
It's not hard, it just takes some effort, so when I see manels and dudeferences, I feel utterly disappointed in the laziness of the organisers. Stop letting yourself down. Stop letting the dudewave roll over you. Put your head above the dross and take a look around.